


Of Sisters, Rumors, and Awkward Encounters

by That_G3_Obsessive



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Feel free to ignore if that's not your thing, Friendship, Gen, Inspired by Varian and the Seven Kingdoms - Kaitlyn Ritter & Anna Lencioni, Rapunzel and Varian are Siblings (Disney), The varigo is mostly implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25806739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_G3_Obsessive/pseuds/That_G3_Obsessive
Summary: Or; three times Varian mentioned his sister to his friends, and the time they finally meet her.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Comments: 91
Kudos: 335





	1. Yong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: realized the picture wasn't showing up! Hopefully it's fixed now :)

As he blinked the stars from his eyes, the first thing that went through Yong’s mind was that he _really_ should have listened to Varian.

He had just wanted to give his fireworks a bit more kick, that’s all! How was he supposed to know that Varian’s compound (Finngolium? Flicktolium? Yong could never remember the name) was _that_ explosive?

_Maybe because Varian told you?_ scolded a voice inside his head. _When he showed you how he made it? And when he told you to_ not _let it near fire at any cost?_

The second thing that came into Yong’s mind was that his hand _really_ hurt. He had been in enough explosive-related accidents to know a burn when he felt one, and when he sat up and looked at his palm, he saw that most of his hand and part of his arm were an angry red. Blisters had already formed on his palm, and he hissed as he twitched his fingers. Involuntary tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he hastily wiped them away.

“Yong? Yong!” Varian called as he and Hugo burst into the clearing. “We heard an explosion, are you okay?”

“Geez, Sparkles, what did you do?” Hugo whistled, stepping around the burnt crater. It was as wide as he was tall. He worked to stamp out a small fire on the edge while Varian knelt by Yong’s side.

Varian hissed through his teeth when he saw the burn. “Ouch,” he muttered. “That looks nasty… let’s get you back to camp and we’ll treat it, okay?”

Yong nodded and allowed Varian to help him up, cradling his injured hand by his chest. Hugo awkwardly trailed behind the two of them as they made their way back to camp.

When they reached their tents, Varian immediately sat Yong down on a log and grabbed his water skin. “Do we have any more of that healing salve?” he asked Hugo.

Hugo rifled through their bags for a moment, then shrugged. “I’ll… go make some more,” he said, eyeing Yong’s hand with apprehension. “Goggles is better at playing nurse, anyway.”

He quickly retreated into trees, presumably towards the clearing that he and Varian were using as a makeshift lab.

Varian rolled his eyes. “What a baby.”

He gently took Yong’s hand and started to pour the clean water over the burn, washing away the specks of dirt that had gotten on the wound.

Yong hissed. He tried to jerk his hand back from the sting, but Varian’s grip was surprisingly strong and held it under the stream.

Ruddiger, emerging from one of Varian’s bags, chittered and pushed his way into Yong’s side. He gently started to pet the raccoon with his good hand, blinking away more painful tears.

“I know it stings,” Varian soothed. “I’ve burned myself plenty of times, too. I wish we had some colder water, but this’ll have to do for now.”

Yong flinched again as the water trickled onto a particularly nasty blister. “Sorry,” he said.

“For what?”

“I was trying to use that compound you showed me,” said Yong, “for my fireworks. I only used a few drops, so I thought it’d be fine, but…”

“But Flynnolium is _very_ powerful,” Varian finished. He sighed and pulled the water away.

Yong winced again. “Are you mad at me?”

Varian let out a huff. Was he… laughing? “I probably should be mad, but that’d be pretty hypocritical of me considering I nearly blew up my whole village when I first made the stuff.”

“You did?” That was a shock to Yong. Varian was the most incredible scientist Yong had ever met. How could he have almost blown up a village?

Varian snorted again. “Oh yeah,” he said. “I tried to make an underground water heater when I was fourteen. I was _so_ confident that there was nothing wrong with it, even though it was causing earthquakes every few minutes. Would’ve blown us all sky high if Eugene hadn’t knocked some sense into me.” He chuckled, and a soft smile came over his face. “That was the day I met my sister, actually.”

Yong’s brow furrowed. “You nearly blew up a town on the day your sister was born?” Varian had talked about his sister a few times, but Yong hadn’t known that she was that young.

“What? No, when I— _oh.”_ He laughed again. “We’re not biologically related. She kind of… unofficially adopted me, I guess, around two years ago. I _met_ her when I was fourteen and she was eighteen.”

“Oh.” That made more sense.

“Yeah,” said Varian. “Great first impression, right?”

Yong laughed just as Hugo came back into the clearing with a jar full of medical cream. Yong didn’t know what was in it, but he knew that it worked wonders.

“About time,” Varian teased, taking the jar.

Hugo huffed and rolled his eyes. “Just try not to use the entire thing? We need to save this for things that _actually matter.”_ He narrowed his eyes at Yong, who shrank back. Then he marched over to his tent and closed the flap, leaving Varian and Yong in (semi) solitude once again.

“Jerk,” Varian scoffed, dipping his finger in the pale cream and taking Yong’s hand again.

“…Sorry,” Yong said again.

“Accidents happen,” Varian replied. “You know not to do it again, right?”

Yong nodded.

“Then don’t listen to Hugo. He’s just grumpy ‘cause he had to help out for once.”

Yong giggled as Varian gently spread the cream across his palm. The two of them settled into a comfortable silence. The cream started to tingle on his skin, which Yong knew meant that it was working.

“Did your sister ever have to treat your injuries?” he asked.

“Sometimes,” Varian responded. “I mostly live with my dad, but when she’s nearby she’ll help patch me up.” He laughed again. “Apparently she used to be a lot better at healing before she met me, but I think she does alright.”

Yong didn’t get the joke, but Varian didn’t explain.

“She kind of has to help, when there’s blood,” Varian continued, going over to grab some bandages. “Blood makes me _really_ nauseous. I’ve actually passed out before.” He paused. “If you’re ever bleeding, go to Hugo, okay?”

Yong laughed again while Varian wrapped his hand. “You’re scared of blood? But you’re so brave!”

Varian stuck out his tongue. “Excuse _you_ , it’s a perfectly rational fear to have!” He finished off the bandage and stepped back. “There! All done.” He pointed a stern finger at Yong. “Now don’t mess with Flynnolium anymore, got it?”

“Got it!”

“I’m going to go get some more firewood,” said Varian. “Would you start pulling out some food for dinner? And bug Hugo to go get some more water?”

Yong gave him a salute and went to get started on the nightly chores.

His hand twinged with pain, but less than before. Injuries sucked, Yong decided, but they weren’t so bad when Varian was around to bandage them.


	2. Nuru

Nuru sighed as a lock of hair fell into her face. _Again._

She and Varian were currently bent over one of her maps, trying to plot out their path to the Dark Kingdom, while Hugo and Yong were out running errands in the nearby village. The terrain around the Kingdom was especially rough, and they were having some trouble finding a way that wouldn’t be too hard on Prometheus. When it came to mountains, that donkey was as stubborn as, well, a mule.

Nuru didn’t think she’d be nearly as frustrated if her hair would just _behave._

After nearly three months on the road with Varian, Hugo, and Yong, it was clear that it was time for a haircut. Nuru’s hair had already been getting long when she impulsively decided to tag along on their journey, and now she was seriously regretting not going in for one last session with the royal hairdresser before leaving. Her bangs, which were normally kept out of her face by her favorite star clip, were officially out of control and constantly escaped confinement. She had been gifted (or cursed) with naturally thick, black hair, which now rested on her neck and shoulders even in her normal up-do and was _unbearably_ hot in the summer sun.

She knew that inevitably, she would have two options: try to cut her own hair (which she had never done before and would no doubt have _disastrous_ consequences) or ask one of the boys for help. That wouldn’t have been so bad if the only one of them who had _any_ experience cutting hair hadn’t been… _Hugo._

She shuddered just thinking about his stupid, smug face.

So Nuru decided to put it off. And now she was paying the price.

The same lock of hair slipped out from behind her ear. She glared at it. The hair didn’t seem affected.

“Are you okay?” Varian asked. “You look a little stressed.”

Nuru blew the annoying chunk of hair out of her eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Varian’s eyes drifted into her hair and then back to her face. “Your hair’s getting pretty long.”

He was _way_ too perceptive. “Thanks, I hadn’t noticed,” Nuru grumbled.

“You know, Hugo can—”

She cut him off with a steely look.

He shut his mouth with a click. “Never mind.”

Nuru sighed again. “I just wish it would _stay up,_ you know? It’s not so bad when it’s not in my face.”

Varian touched his own long bangs. “Yeah, I know the feeling.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll get Hugo to cut it eventually, just… not yet.”

Varian hummed and turned back to the map, frowning. Nuru did the same. Time to get back to work, then.

“I could braid it for you, if you like.”

Nuru paused and looked back up at him. He looked completely serious.

“You know how to braid?”

Varian nodded. “My older sister used to have _super_ long hair. She showed me how. I’m not the best, but I could get it out of your face, at least.”

_Well,_ Nuru thought, _what’s the harm?_

“Hmmm, there’s nothing to sit on out here…” Varian mused. “Why don’t you sit on the grass and I’ll just kneel?”

Nuru sat cross-legged on a patch of grass next to a few white flowers, and Varian situated himself behind her. He pulled off his gloves (which was a rare sight) and plucked the star clip out of her hair. Then he started to gently comb through her curls with his fingers.

“How do you want it?” he asked while working through a small tangle. “I can try and do a normal braid down your back, but your bangs are a little short for that… I could do a crown braid, that’ll keep it out of your face.”

“Sure,” replied Nuru.

With that, Varian separated the hair above her left temple into three strands and started to weave them together. He worked surprisingly quickly, tucking the pieces around each other with nimble fingers. Nuru supposed that made sense; one needed to be dexterous when working with delicate machinery, after all.

“What’s your sister like?” she asked.

Varian hummed, pulling more hair into the braid. “She’s very kind,” he said. “Probably one of the friendliest people you’ve ever met. And she’s always looking on the bright side of everything.” He laughed softly. “I have no idea how she does it sometimes.”

“You sound like you really love her,” Nuru said.

Even though he was behind her, Nuru knew that Varian was smiling. “Yeah,” he said, “I do.” He moved over to the other side of her head. “You know, one of the trials is in Corona. You guys will probably get to meet her.”

“That’s exciting. You think she’ll like us?”

“Oh yeah,” Varian laughed. “You’d better prepare yourself; she gives the _best_ hugs.”

Nuru giggled as he finished off her braid with one final twist behind her left ear. He held it in place with her star clip, then slid in front of her to inspect his work.

“One more thing,” he said, picking one of the flowers next to her. He gently slid it behind her ear, then gave a big, bucktoothed smile. “Perfect!”

Nuru walked over to her bag and dug around until she found her small mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw her reflection.

It was… good. _Really_ good. Much better than she had expected, if she were perfectly honest. The braid started on her left side, moved across her head, then twisted around the back until it tapered off where it began, forming a beautiful circlet. No stray hairs, no uneven lumps, and the best part—her hair was out of her face _and_ off of her neck for the first time in days!

The tiny flower tucked into her ear was a splash of white against her dark hair. It really was perfect.

“What do you think?” asked Varian, pulling his gloves back on.

Turning around, she pulled him into a big hug. “It’s amazing!” she smiled. “Thank you!”

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. “Anytime, princess.”

They let go after a few more seconds and got back to work on the maps. Before they did, however, Nuru made a mental note to thank Varian’s sister when they officially met her. Whoever she was, she was a true lifesaver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is Hugo! See you Thursday!


	3. Hugo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about this chapter: it takes place after the gang leaves the Iron Kingdom. I am aware that Hugo's betrayal is not supposed to be revealed until they reach the Library, but I'm taking a liberty here because it works better for the flow of the story (and also because I caught a case of the Big Dumb and wrote the whole thing before checking the timeline and i don't want to rewrite it)

Betrayal was such an _awful_ word.

_An awful word for awful people,_ Hugo thought as he stared at the dying campfire. Fitting, in a way.

He was alone. Yong had turned in early. The poor kid had been practically dead on his feet by the time they finished setting up camp. Hugo remembered how terrified he had looked as the four of them faced down Donella.

He hadn’t looked at Hugo once. That was fine.

Nuru and Varian had retreated to their tents not long after. Hugo had volunteered to take first watch, and although Nuru had been _very_ vocal against leaving Hugo unsupervised, Varian had, for _some_ reason, convinced her otherwise. Nuru hadn’t understood why he’d bothered, and frankly, neither did Hugo. She’d glared daggers at Hugo, but eventually her exhaustion won out and she went to bed.

It seemed that the friendly rivalry they’d been building was completely gone. Now they were back at square one. That was fine, too.

Varian didn’t do any of that. No glares, no avoidance, no tears—just a soft “goodnight”, and then he left Hugo to his thoughts.

Hugo didn’t understand.

Varian _knew._ He knew that Hugo had been a double agent the whole time. He knew that he’d been lying to them for nearly two years now. He knew that he’d been working for the very woman that was most likely responsible for his mother’s disappearance.

So why, _why_ had he let Hugo back into the group?

Nuru and Yong clearly hated Hugo’s guts, and Hugo didn’t blame them. Hell, he’d been ready to leave until Varian had grabbed his wrist and asked him to stay.

Hugo didn’t _understand._

He glanced up at the moon. It was past midnight; his watch was supposed to end hours ago. He knew that Nuru was going to be mad that he’d never woken her up for her turn, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He’d stay awake all night, standing guard over them.

It was the least he could do.

The peaceful night was interrupted by the sound of a tent flap rustling behind him. Hugo turned around (his stiff back cracking) to see Varian emerge and stare at him.

“What are you doing?” Hugo whispered. “You should be asleep.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Varian responded, in just as hushed a tone.

Hugo sighed and turned back to the fire. “I’m fine. Go back to bed.”

Varian instead chose to sit down on the log, right next to Hugo. _Of course._

Hugo glared at him, but his heart wasn’t in it. He turned back to the fire and watched the dying coals flicker.

He could feel Varian watching him. The silence between them was oppressive, like sticky summer air. Every second, Hugo could feel the weight of the unspoken words building on his shoulders.

“Why did you do it?” he eventually asked. He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to.

Varian didn’t answer right away. His expression was unreadable in the flickering light, and his eyes flicked over Hugo’s face before he answered.

“Because I know what it’s like.”

“What what’s like?”

“To hurt people you care about.”

Hugo’s eyes snapped up to Varian, but he was staring into the fire. His eyes were dark, and in the dim light he looked almost… haunted. Like a different person.

“You’ve… hurt someone?” Hugo breathed. He couldn’t imagine it. Varian was one of the kindest people Hugo had ever met. How could he possibly know what Hugo was going through?

Varian nodded, still refusing to look at Hugo. “When I was fourteen, I almost killed my dad,” he said softly. “I thought I did, for a while. In my grief, I… I got angry. I lashed out. And I hurt people. _Innocent_ people. My friends, my _sister_ …” He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists in his lap. Then he took a deep breath and relaxed.

“The point is, I _know._ When people get angry with you, you just… take it, because you feel like you deserve it. And you’re always beating yourself up over it, thinking that you’re a horrible person because you made some bad choices, that you’re nothing but an irredeemable _monster.”_ Varian’s voice broke on the last word, and Hugo’s heart broke with it.

“Varian…” he said, reaching out a hand.

Varian grabbed it between both of his, turning fully to face Hugo with a fire in his eyes.

“But you’re _not,”_ he insisted. “You’re not a monster. You’re not irredeemable. My sister… she never gave up on me, no matter what I did. She told me that everyone deserves a second chance. _You_ deserve a second chance. I… _Hugo…_ ” Varian looked down at their hands with a soft smile. In the firelight, his cheeks looked dusted pink.

Their eyes met again.

“You deserve to be _happy_.”

Hugo’s eyes burned. His throat felt too tight. He ducked his head before the tears could fall, but somehow ended up with his forehead resting on Varian’s shoulder.

Varian wrapped his arms around Hugo, and then the dam broke.

Fat, hot tears ran down Hugo’s cheeks, ending up soaked into Varian’s shirt when he pressed his face into it. His glasses fogged up before Varian gingerly took them and placed them in his pocket for safekeeping. An ugly sob ripped out of his throat, shaking his shoulders and making his chest jump. His arms latched onto Varian’s waist, pulling him even closer, while Varian’s arms tightened around Hugo. He felt a hand gently rub along his spine, soothing him through the trembling hiccups and coughs. When was the last time Hugo had been hugged? When was the last time he’d _cried?_

He didn’t know how long they sat like that. All he knew is that Varian held him through it all.

_“I’m sorry,”_ he whispered, voice cracking. _“I’m so sorry.”_

“I know,” Varian murmured. “I forgive you.”

And for now, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left! See you Saturday! :)


	4. Rapunzel

As the four of them took their first steps into Corona, Hugo was both excited and apprehensive.

On one hand, their quest was almost over! One more trial, one more totem, and the Eternal Library was theirs. And now that Hugo had officially turned his back on Donella, he was looking forward to a new life free from her with his new friends. The future was looking good.

On the other hand… today, they were supposed to meet Varian’s _family_. Nuru and Yong seemed to be reasonably excited to meet them, but Hugo had a lot riding on this. Considering he was now technically homeless, he was hoping that he could stay with Varian. Varian had already said that was okay (he was the one that offered), but what if his family didn’t like Hugo? What if they thought that a former thief was a bad influence on their son/brother?

_And there’s that…_ other _thing,_ Hugo thought. He glanced at Varian, feeling his face heat up. He _definitely_ needed the family to like him for _that._

Of course, Varian had assured him that they wouldn’t hold a grudge for his criminal past, but he’d had a strange look in his eye. It had looked as if he were trying not to laugh, which Hugo found to be _not helpful._

_“Woah,”_ gasped Yong, breaking Hugo out of his thoughts. “The city’s so _big!”_

“It’s even bigger up close,” Varian replied with a grin. He was trying to act cool, but Hugo could tell that he was practically bursting with excitement. Ruddiger seemed to share the energy, jumping from Prometheus to Varian’s shoulders and back again and chittering happily.

“I haven’t been to Corona in _forever!”_ Nuru exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. “I always forget how sunny it is here!”

“Well, it is the _Light_ Kingdom,” Hugo pointed out with a smirk. Nuru rolled her eyes at him, but the corner of her mouth twitched up. (It had taken a while, but it seemed that Nuru was finally accepting that Hugo was on their side. He would never admit it, but Hugo had missed their banter)

“Come on, come _on!”_ shouted Yong, grabbing Hugo’s hand and trying to pull him faster. “We’re almost there!”

“Okay, okay!” Hugo stumbled along as best he could with Yong pulling him. The kid (really a young teenager, now) was getting _strong._ Nuru and Varian, the traitors, just laughed at him.

When they reached the bridge, they were joined by a few merchants pulling carts of goods into the city. It was mostly food from farmers, but Hugo did spot one showing off brightly colored cloth.

Varian wouldn’t stop smiling. As they entered the city proper, that bucktoothed grin was as bright as the golden suns pasted all over the town. His blue eyes were shining as they darted from building to building, taking it all in.

Hugo couldn’t look away.

It wasn’t long before they got recognized on their way to the city center. They stopped and said hello to _way_ too many people, in Hugo’s opinion. A red-headed cobbler, a jovial candy maker, an old blacksmith. At least they got free samples from the baker with the horned helmet.

“You didn’t tell us you were so popular, Goggles,” he said.

Varian shrugged. “Just didn’t think it was a big deal, I guess.”

“Where are we going, anyway?” asked Nuru. “I thought we were going to see your family.”

“We are,” replied Varian. “We’re going to see my sister first, and she’ll tell me whether my dad is here in the city or at home in Old Corona.”

“Okay, but we passed all the residential homes.”

“Princess is right, Goggles,” said Hugo. “What, does your sister live in the castle or something?”

Varian looked confused. “Uh, yeah?” He said it like it should have been obvious.

He turned back to the castle gates without elaborating. Hugo met Nuru’s eyes and raised an eyebrow in a silent question. She pursed her lips and shrugged.

_Royal Engineer?_ she mouthed. The furrow of her brows showed that it was a question.

Hugo supposed that made sense. Varian had mentioned that he had an important role in the kingdom and had often stayed in the castle for his projects before leaving on his journey. Although, why would his sister be there, but not his dad…?

Yong looked puzzled, too. Hugo wasn’t the only one missing something, at least.

They got into the castle surprisingly easy, considering one of them had a raccoon on his shoulders. Varian apparently knew the two guards posted at the gate by name (because of course he did), and the four of them were allowed to walk right in.

“If you’re looking for the captain, he should be around the throne room!” one of the guards called after them. Was that Stan or Pete? Hugo couldn’t remember.

“Thanks!” Varian responded with a wave.

“Who’s the captain?” asked Yong.

“He’s a really good friend of mine,” said Varian. “And he’s my sister’s husband, so he can tell us where she is.”

_Oh._ So, the sister was the captain’s wife? That explained why she was living in the castle, then. Nuru met Hugo’s eyes again, and he could see that she had reached the same conclusion.

After dropping Prometheus off at the stables (where the old donkey looked especially out-of-place next to all the palace horses), Varian led them through countless hallways that all looked the same. Occasionally they saw fancy vases or gold trinkets on display, which Hugo briefly considered pocketing before shaking his head. He was trying to be a good person, and good people didn’t steal. Even from stuffy royals with too many useless things. Besides, he figured it wouldn’t be a very good first impression to Varian’s family.

After a few minutes of wandering the castle, they finally met someone. The man had his back to them, but the red and gold uniform gave away who he was—the captain of the guard.

“Eugene!” exclaimed Varian, rushing forward. At the sound of his voice, the captain perked up and turned, revealing a handsome face and a bright grin that looked oddly familiar.

_“Varian?”_ he gasped. He scooped Varian up in a massive bear hug (which wasn’t hard, considering the man was several inches taller). Ruddiger hopped to the floor, chittering in annoyance at being dislodged from his favorite perch. “When did you get back, bud?”

“Just now,” said Varian, his voice a bit muffled. “It’s good to see you again.”

The captain—Eugene? —laughed loudly, ruffling Varian’s hair. “Good to see you too, kiddo,” he said. “We missed you! It’s way too quiet around here without you blowing something up every other day.”

Varian puffed up and started to loudly object that _no,_ he did _not_ explode things all the time, but Hugo stopped listening. He felt like he recognized the captain from somewhere… but what—

Part of Varian’s goggles covered up Eugene’s nose, and then it all clicked.

_“Flynn Rider?”_

Rider (Eugene?) looked up and stared at him with wide eyes, smile dropping.

“You’ve heard of him?” Varian asked Hugo. “I didn’t know he was wanted that far away.”

“Wait, Flynn Rider? Like, the thief?” asked Nuru.

“I thought he was a book character,” Yong added.

“Are these your friends?” Rider asked Varian.

Varian nodded. “This is Yong, Nuru, and Hugo. Guys, this is Eugene.”

“And yes, I used to go by Flynn Rider and participate in some… _less than legal_ activities,” Rider said, holding his hands up. “But I don’t do that anymore. And speaking of less than legal…” he leaned towards Varian and pointed at Hugo. “Do you know who he is?”

“You’ve met Hugo?”

Hugo shrank under his friends’ curious stares. “We… may have done a heist together. Once.”

_“Together?”_ scoffed Rider. “If I remember correctly, you double-crossed me! Lance nearly got arrested!”

“It was _eight years ago!”_ Hugo hissed back. “And for the record, _Rider,_ they _do_ know about my past. You’re not the only one who can change!”

“Okay!” said Varian, getting between them and holding out his hands. “Eugene, I know you don’t trust Hugo, but he _has_ changed. Just… trust my judgement? Please?”

Rider hesitated for a moment, then his gaze softened. “Okay,” he sighed. “Only for you, kid.” He ruffled Varian’s hair again before narrowing his eyes at Hugo. “But I’ll be watching you, got it?”

Hugo rolled his eyes. “Noted.”

Rider gave one last curt nod before turning his attention fully back to Varian. “Have you seen—"

“Nope,” Varian interrupted, shaking his head. “Is she in the throne room?”

“Yeah,” replied Rider, wrapping an arm around Varian’s shoulders and steering him down the hallway with Hugo, Nuru, and Yong (holding a grumpy Ruddiger) following behind. “She’s in a very important and very boring meeting that should’ve ended…” He checked a small pocket watch, “—ten minutes ago, so I don’t think she’ll mind a little distraction!”

“Are we going to meet your sister now?” Yong asked Varian.

“Yep!” Varian grinned.

“Why is she holding a meeting in the throne room?” asked Nuru. “Isn’t that for the royals?”

Varian stared back at her with a puzzled expression. Rider looked confused, too; his eyes flicked back and forth between her face and Varian’s before widening in realization.

“You didn’t _tell them?”_ he gasped.

“What? No—I must’ve… I could have sworn I— _holy Sun.”_ While Varian’s face morphed into a mask of horror, Rider started _cackling._

“Didn’t tell us what?” Yong asked. Neither answered him—Rider was having trouble breathing from _whatever_ was so funny, and Varian was too busy burying his face into his hands and groaning.

Hugo didn’t get the joke, and it was clear that Nuru and Yong didn’t either.

“Hey Goggles, mind sharing with the class?”

Varian sighed deeply and dragged his hands down his face. “I forgot to tell you that my sister is—”

“No, don’t!” interrupted Rider, wiping a tear from his eye. “Let them find out when they meet her, it’ll be _gold!”_

Varian frowned. “I don’t know…”

“C’mon, bud! It’ll only be for a minute!”

“…Fine,” Varian sighed. “Sorry, guys.”

Nuru rolled her eyes. “Let’s just go meet her so we can see what’s so funny.”

A few turns later and they were at the doors to the throne room. Hugo could vaguely hear muffled voices inside, though he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“Alright,” said Rider. “You four stay out here, I’ll go kick out the gasbags. You can come in once they’re gone.”

“Won’t they get offended?” Nuru worried.

“They’re just a couple of merchants that’ve been hanging around for a few days, and they’re already over their meeting time,” Rider reassured her. “Even if they do get cranky about it, they can’t do anything.”

He shot Varian one more smile, then cracked open the large doors and disappeared inside.

There was a beat of silence before Hugo turned to Varian.

“So, when were you going to tell us that Flynn Rider was your brother-in-law?”

Varian sighed. “First of all, his name is _Eugene._ And it honestly slipped my mind. I didn’t, like, intentionally hide it or anything. It just never came up.”

“It’s okay, Varian,” said Yong. “It’s not like any of us asked about it!”

“Except for the thing about your sister,” Nuru added. She tried to give Varian a stern look, but her smile ruined it.

“Heh, sorry!” he said with a sheepish grin. “I just can’t believe I’ve never mentioned it before. It’s kind of a big deal!”

“If you tell us now, I promise to act surprised,” Hugo smirked, playfully bumping Varian’s shoulder with his own.

Yong grabbed Varian’s arm and tugged on his sleeve. “Come on, tell us, tell us!”

“No!” Varian laughed, pulling away. “You can wait one more minute!”

“Actually,” said Nuru with a sly grin. “I think I figured it out—”

Before Nuru could elaborate, the doors flew open and two disgruntled old men stormed out.

“Who does that man think he _is?”_ he heard one of them grumble as they passed.

He didn’t catch the other man’s response before Varian pulled him, Yong, and Nuru into the throne room.

Rider was there talking casually to a young woman in a pretty, purple dress with short, choppy brown hair. Considering there was no one else in the room aside from a few guards, Hugo assumed that this was the mysterious sister.

As soon as he saw the glittering tiara on her head, everything clicked into place.

_No. Way._

He froze, and in his peripheral vision he could see that Yong was having a similar reaction. Nuru just gave both of them a smug side-eye. If Hugo wasn’t so shocked, he would have been offended.

Varian’s _sister_ was the _princess?_

This _whole time?_

Hugo, unfortunately, didn’t have time to properly process this new revelation, since as soon as they walked in, the princess turned around to meet them.

The second she laid eyes on Varian, her entire face lit up in a blinding smile. _“Varian!”_ she gasped. Then, she took off like a shot, tackling Varian in a massive hug and nearly toppling him over in the process.

_“Augh!”_ Varian grunted. “Hi, Rapunzel! It’s good to see you, too! _You’re squishing me—!_ ”

“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming home?” the princess—Rapunzel? —asked. Before he could answer, she lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing and spun him in a circle.

“Careful, Sunshine,” Rider teased, plucking the crown off her head before it could get dislodged. “He still needs to breathe!”

“Oops, sorry!” Rapunzel set him back on his feet and let him go, though not before giving him one last squeeze.

Varian gave an exaggerated gasp once he was free. “I think you broke a rib,” he groaned, although the act fell as he and Rapunzel dissolved into giggles.

The princess finally spotted Nuru, Yong, and Hugo. “Oh, hi!” she exclaimed. “Are you Varian’s friends? It’s so nice to meet you!” She turned to face Nuru. “I feel like I recognize you from somewhere…”

Nuru blinked in surprise. “I’m Princess Nuru,” she said, dipping in a practiced curtsy. “I’ve visited Corona a few times, but—”

Rapunzel snapped her fingers. “The Summer Ball, a few years ago, right? You were here with your sisters, I remember! It’s great to see you again!”

“It’s lovely to see you again, too, Princess,” Nuru smiled.

“Oh, just Rapunzel is fine,” she said, waving a hand. “Any friend of Varian’s is a friend of mine!”

“The other two are Yong and Hugo,” said Varian. “I met them all along the way. They’ve been helping me complete the trials.”

“If you’re a princess, does that mean Varian’s a prince?” Yong blurted out, eyes wide.

“Nope, sorry!” laughed Rapunzel. “Honorary little brothers don’t count.”

“And thank the Sun for that,” Varian muttered.

Hugo took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “So, you’re telling me that out of _all the times_ you’ve told us about your sister, you never _once_ thought to mention that she was _royalty_?”

“Aw, he’s told you about me?” Rapunzel cooed, leaning into Varian’s shoulder.

“All good things, I hope,” added Rider.

Hugo couldn’t tell whether they were messing with him or not.

“It was only a few times, you know, in between the trials,” Varian shrugged. “And in my defense, her being a princess is kind of common knowledge around here! You can’t blame me for forgetting to mention it!”

“Yes, we can,” Nuru and Hugo said simultaneously. Even Yong nodded apologetically.

“Mm, yeah, that’s _kind_ of an important thing to miss,” Rapunzel agreed.

_“Seriously?_ Ugh, you guys are the _worst!”_

As they all laughed at Varian’s offended pout, Rider wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a one-armed hug. With Rapunzel still leaning into his side, it didn’t take long for his frown to melt into a bright smile.

He looked so… content, here with his family. Hugo almost felt the need to look away, like this simple, joyful moment was too private for him to see.

Then Varian’s blue eyes met his own, and he gestured for the three of them to come closer.

That smile somehow got even brighter when they did.

The moment was broken when Rapunzel and Rider—no, _Eugene_ —began to ask about their quest, but Hugo tuned them out.

He thought about how he felt around Nuru, Yong, and Varian, that now-familiar bubble of warmth and happiness that grew in his chest whenever he was around them. Then he stared at the look on Varian’s face, the twinkle in his eye with an edge of fondness hidden just below the surface. Was that how Hugo looked when he was with their group?

…No wonder Donella had called him soft.

_But then again,_ he thought, _is that really such a bad thing?_

Varian was one of the strongest people Hugo had ever met. He could take down thugs twice his size with nothing but a few alchemical ingredients and his wits. He’d stared danger in the face and come out on top nearly every time.

But he also bandaged wounds with a gentle but firm hand. He offered to braid hair and added flowers because they looked pretty. He wiped away tears and patiently stayed until they were all gone.

He loved his family, more than anything else in the world.

Hugo was honored to be a part of that.

Varian looked away from Rapunzel for a moment, and their eyes met. He gave that happy smile again, making Hugo’s heart flutter.

This time, Hugo gave him a smile to match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, at the end. This story has been stewing in my head for months, and I'm so happy that I got to share it with all of you. This is actually the first time I've finished a chaptered fic in years, so this means a lot to me.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who left kudos or a comment. I do read them all, and you guys are all so kind <333
> 
> Also thank you to the VAT7K Discord server, who've also been super supportive and have helped me iron out some details with the art and with the AU's "canon". You guys rock! <333333
> 
> And finally, thank you just for reading! I hope you enjoyed! <3333333333
> 
> Have a wonderful day :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> This fic is already complete! Expect a new chapter every other day, or your money back!
> 
> All art is by me.
> 
> If you liked this, consider leaving kudos or a comment! I love to hear your feedback!
> 
> Follow me on [my main Tumblr](https://that-g3-obsessive.tumblr.com/) or [my art blog](https://that-g3-artist.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Have a lovely day! :)


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